Category Archives: Entrepreneurship

How to Receive a College Education Online for Free

May 6, 2011 – 11:55 am
free online education janae the freelancer lifestyle design

Education is what you make of it. We are perpetual students, learning something new everyday. It doesn’t matter if you spend four years in college (and $200K) or time talking to someone in a coffee shop. We are constantly learning.
With college tuition being as costly as it is, I know many people looking for alternative ways to continue to learn and expand their skill set. Look at any entrepreneur or historical figure and you will see that continuous self-education is a major component to their lives.
Here are some free online courses from some of the top universities:
Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative (my alma mater) – No instructors, no credits, no charge. Use these self-guiding Carnegie Mellon materials and activities to learn at your own pace.
MIT OpenCourseWare – MIT OpenCourseWare is a free web-based publication of MIT course materials that has some of the undergraduate and graduate subjects taught at MIT.
MIT Sloan School of Management – As one of the top business schools in the US, this is a great subsection of the larger MIT OpenCourseWare site.
Tufts OpenCourseWare – Tufts OpenCourseWare is part of a new educational movement.
Khan Academy – Over 1200 videos lessons from algebra [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Creativity, Innovation, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Recognize Opportunity

May 5, 2011 – 10:20 am
opportunity the freelancer janae lifestyle design

I have known Sam for years. But I also haven’t seen him in awhile, so getting together for a cup of coffee sounded great to me.
Sam is getting his MBA at a well-known institution in Cambridge (there are really only two choices, so I will let you decide which one you think he goes to). He was walking me through the curriculum when I asked, “What is the objective of most of these classes?” He looked at me like I had four heads and responded, “To solve problems, of course.” That’s when it occurred to me that this program (and many MBA programs) has it all wrong.
Life and in this case, business, isn’t about just solving problems. It is about recognizing opportunities. Those opportunities can come in many forms: some are where to present change and innovations. Some opportunities allow us to capitalize on a system that is currently working and integrate it into other areas or create derivatives of that model. That was why part of the Our Revolution team went on the road: to find the models that were working and share them with the world, so others could use them.
Not everything is broken. There are many things [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Innovation, Marketing, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

It’s Obvious

May 4, 2011 – 11:23 am
it's obvious janae the freelancer lifestyle design

Jeff was looking for his glasses…again. This was the 3rd time this week. He had to find them and find them quickly because he was going to be late for a meeting. So, the search was on. He went through everything on his desk. He searched through his bags, tore up the living room, his bedroom and to no avail. “My jacket!” They must be in my jacket.” he scurried his way to the black jacket hanging there on the coat rack. He turned every pocket inside out. Jeff even shook the jacket.
Nothing.
After about forty-five minutes of searching, Jeff sulked down onto the couch furious with himself. As he glanced through the window, he caught something within the reflection. He saw a little glimmer from atop his head. He slowly reached up and realized that what he has been searching for had been with him the entire time.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation?
Most of the time, the answers we are looking for are right in front of us or within us. Keeping your eyes, ears and minds open to what is around you can help you find the resources you need or the solutions to your challenging [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Be the Change You Wish to See In the World

May 3, 2011 – 12:20 pm

Every choice that you make impacts not only you, but others. Some you know and some you don’t know. How do you make the right choices? How can one person empower others to make a positive change; to turn ones life around and be the change they wish to see in the world.
Last week, I spoke on Creating Revolutions: How to Be the Change You Wish to See to the South Shore Women’s Business Network (great group). Here is the video of my talk. Check it out:

Are you ready for YOUR Revolution? Tell me about what you’re doing. Tell me how you’re changing the world. Create a video, entitle it “It’s MY Revolution!” and post the link within the comments of this blog or on my Facebook page. I will then post videos that I see in an upcoming blog post.
Cannot Wait to Hear from you!
Related Posts:
The Power of Vulnerability
Why I Started Our Revolution
Creating Revolutions, Reinventing a City, and My Story
The Revolution: 7+ Things To Learn from Tunisia, Egypt, and Iran

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

How to Successfully Create a New Habit

May 2, 2011 – 8:04 am
creating good habits creating new habits janae

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts the other night and there was a discussion whether aptitude or attitude was more important in defining individual success.   I believe attitude is far more important than aptitude.  All the talent, knowledge, and skill in the world will not make someone a success in life if they do not learn how to apply it productively.  I believe those of us who do reach our dreams are usually just the people who have accumulated the best habits.
Humans are creatures of habit.  Our bodies and minds want us to be stuck in a comfortable routine of homeostasis.  Subconsciously, your inner self is thinking only about survival and not about success, “I’ve survived this far doing what I’ve always done, so changing can only risk danger.”
So picking up a new habit or getting rid of an old one is a lot harder than we think.  We subconsciously fight against such change.  But the ability to form new habits is ultimately the key to success, so I want to share these 6 habit-forming steps with you:
1.       Do it for 30 Days – The common consensus is that it takes about 21 days of [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

How to Write Two Books in One Year

April 29, 2011 – 10:45 am
productivity 101 the freelancer janae

People often tell me I’m a busy woman.  But we’re all busy, right?  Everyone has to contend with finding time outside of their jobs, families, health, social obligations, and a ton of other responsibilities.  So when I mentioned to a new acquaintance that I am in the midst of writing two books (“How to Create a Revolution” and “The Expanded Edition:  How to Start Your Business with $100”), working on the Our Revolution Project, and composing an opera for the 140 Characters Conference, they ask me how I could possibly do all that. 
What can I say? I am all about effective productivity. There are a ton of things that I do and want to do, but still need and want my free time. Here is a list of tools and resources that I use to be productive:
Time Management Tools:
Are are some of my favorite tools that you can use to help save time.
1.       Evernote – Whether you are working on a big project or just need a place to organize your upcoming blog posts, Evernote is what I would recommend. The platform (and its Iphone app) are incredibly easy to use and allows you to categorize [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Create a Talented Team

April 15, 2011 – 8:53 am
janae creating a team work culture

I was talking with my friend Kathy over lunch who had a clever idea for a business but did not believe she had the skills necessary to execute it.  This made me think of how most people believe successful people are multi-skilled individuals with jack-of-all trade talents and abilities.  But the truth is one of the most ubiquitous trait of a successful business owner is being able to find and keep the right people for the right jobs.
Successful businesses attract the right talent.  Therefore, becoming a talent magnet should be at the top of every manager’s list.  Here are three habits you should cultivate in order to create a team of talented individuals:
1.       Build relationships with talented people before you need them.  Don’t wait until you need someone with a specific skill before engaging with such a person.  For example, you might be able to handle your own accounting now, but when your business grows you’ll want a talented and reliable accountant to handle that end of your business.  Never stop networking in your industry.  Determine who has the talent are and what inspires them about their work.  Cultivate these relationships early because they will come in handy later.
2.       Emphasize [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Productivity 101: How to Run a Meeting

April 14, 2011 – 9:20 am
productivity 101 janae the freelancer

I ran into an old friend at a recent networking event who has worked at an office for many years.  Probably his biggest complaint about the business world is the constant meetings.  How often do we hear about meetings where nothing is accomplished and everyone feels like they wasted their time?  It’s become an office cliché.  There’s even a website called meetordie where you can determine just how much money a business wastes on an unproductive meeting.
But, believe it or not, meetings were originally intended to serve a purpose.  And, whether we like it or not, meetings are a necessary evil for just about any business to get work done.
However, that doesn’t mean we can’t improve on the concept of meetings and make them valuable to you and your attendees.  Follow these four steps to make your meetings more meaningful:
1.       The fewer the better.  Getting everyone’s input can be valuable, but when time is of the essence it just isn’t worth it to invite that guy who works in the mail room.  Keep attendance limited to just the people who are directly involved in the meeting’s objectives.  Before sending out the meeting memo, ask yourself if all the people cc’ed [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Get Paid

April 13, 2011 – 8:50 am
starting a business the freelancer how to get paid janae

My buddy Luke is having trouble collecting from a client of his.  The client wants him to continue doing work, but has not paid him for the work he has already done.  As a freelancer, every single dollar means the world to him.  Like many small business owners, Luke has to feed his family at the end of the day.
Has this ever happened to you? Does it still. Well, you are absolutely not alone. Most of the entrepreneurs that I know deal with this in one form or another. Even me.
So, when you’re trying to do the right thing by your client and still keep yourself in business, where is the line drawn? What could you have done even before the work began?
Mike Monteiro doesn’t mess around when it comes to collecting payment.  In his Creative Mornings video, “F*ck You.  Pay Me” he shares some hilarious insight into his strategies for collective payment for creative service industries. Check it out:

2011/03 Mike Monteiro | F*ck You. Pay Me. from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
Here are some familiar and irrational excuses he’s heard from clients. Do any of them sound familiar:
“We ended up not using the work”
“Really not what we wanted after all”
“We got [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Innovation, Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Fail

April 12, 2011 – 8:48 am
how to fail janae ja-nae

I have a friend who has acquired many different skills, from automobile repair to computer programming.  One time when I asked him where he learned so many skills, his answer was simple – he taught himself through “trial and error.”  He allowed himself to fail until he learned the skill.
This has made me think a lot about failure and how important it is to allow yourself to fail.  All of my successes have come from failure.  Projects never end up the way I originally intend, people who seemed like they could be accountable could not, and businesses took longer to make a profit than I had anticipated.
But the English language has made us equate failing with being a failure, when in fact failing is necessary in order to succeed. If we never allow ourselves to fail, then, unless we are born perfect, we’ll never attempt to learn or do anything that risks failure.  When I started my first business, I made many mistakes and “failures” before I got it right.  I didn’t give up or get discouraged because I understood that failing was just a step towards success.  And I was right.
In order to succeed, you must allow yourself to [...]

By Ja-Naé Duane | Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (1)